A Post from Spain

Okay, it is supposed to the be the Romania Team, but only half of us have made it home. Ariel and Michael arrived home Sunday evening. It was great having an evening in Munich to share dinner at a traditional German restaurant and debrief before heading our seperate ways.

It has been a great trip with a great team in a great place! It felt like the trip was done for all of us, but Rich and I were destined to go to Spain before heading home. I was really sorry to see Michael and Ari leave us at the train station as we headed out to catch our planes to Madrid then Valencia.

The church in Romania (Betania) feels they have a little piece of themselves in Fremont because they know there are people their who are faithful friends in ministry. It is good to know that there is a piece of FCC in Romania. They always pray for us and ask about those they know have had troubles. If you need someone to faithfully pray for you, they are good people to ask.

Here in Spain, we are enjoying warmer weather, a wonderful hotel on the beach and an exciting conference. The Romanian youth (18-28 year olds) in Spain are meeting and we are getting to hear what they are about. It is different than Romania, but the same in many ways. It is a little easier to talk to the young adults in Romania and they seem a little less shy about talking to you. Here in Spain the youth seem to have their circle of friends and stick fairly close to them. They are very friendly, just more...European? It was a little easier to share my testimony with them and feel that I could connect to their lives. They are not living in a country fresh from a revolution and face more challenges common to my own.

When you see the team on Sunday, greet them with 'Pace' (Pah-Chey). It means Peace and will make them smile.

Kim

It's amazing how God works . . .

Last night I went to bed wondering what I was going to preach on at the village of Nou tonight. This morning, when I woke up I still didn't know what I was going to say. As I prayed this morning, God led me to the story of David and Goliath and how we need to face our giants and knock them down.

Tonight as I preached the message at Nou, I could tell that this was resonating with the people. When Pastor Cornel got up afterward, he shared how he was personally affected by the message. He then went on and shared how appropriate it was for the congregation. It hit home in so many ways.

This is what is so exciting about mission trips. I don't know the people in Nou. In fact, tonight was the first time I met them. Yet God knows them and He knows their hearts and their needs. All I need to do is be where God wants me to be and to walk in obedience to that call. As I allow myself to be His vessel and His messenger, the message He wants the people in Nou to hear is made clear to them.

I can't wait to see what else God has in store for us here in Romania.

Day 7 in Sibiu Romania

There is too much to tell, and really you must come and see for yourself to truly understand it all. We have been visiting the many ministries that the people from Betania are part of. Not only are there many ministries (seniors, orphans, high school, churches all over, etc etc etc) but they are faithfully run by people who do it without any security or support. It is amazing to hear them talk about what they do and why they do it.

It seems so simple to say, for example, that there are seniors who need to be cared for and we want them to know about Jesus. So, we search for seniors who need care and we take them in. We do not have enough money to pay for their expenses, and they do not have enough money either. This is a ministry that goes on by faith. This has been true for years and years. I don't know many who keep on going in the face of that kind of burden.

How about the young adults who struggle to go to school and work and yet they say that they feel it is most important to do more with their lives than go to school. They don't want to 'only go to school'. They participate in many church services and ministries so they are together most nights of the week. They also go to church to worship and to serve at least 3 times per week and it is not out of obligation or rules of the church. They each have their own story about how God works in their lives thr0ugh their service in the church.

I am so encouraged to know that it is possible to have a busy life both inside and outside the church walls.

It is getting late and we are going out in the morning (okay, I will admit that we go first to get fresh baked pastries from the city centre before we leave). We expect to see the castle where Radu proposed to Ema. Later we will have to ask her for her part of the story:)

Slimnic and Talmaciu

Yesterday we had a chance to visit the senior home in Slimnic and the new senior home in Talmaciu. At Slimnic we had an opportunity to meet Rich and Sue Forsen, a missionary couple (from the States) who visit the seniors once a week. I gave a short devotional and we had communion together with the seniors. During that time, Ariel sang a solo (she also sang at Rosia, so she is now our "international singer"). Again, it is always heart-wrenching to hear the stories from these dear seniors. But it is also a joy to see those who have faith and hope in Jesus.

At Talmaciu, we saw the great potential and promise of the ministry. However, there is so much work that needs to be done on the facility with little resources. I'm amazed at how they continue to work with all that is available and continue to persevere in such difficult situations. There are 8 residents there and only 1 is a believer. But the ministry is focused also on bringing them to a saving relationship with Jesus.

Today we are schedule to visit the Christian radio station here in Sibiu and the adult orphanage in Selimbar. Looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us.

We've got WiFi!

We've finally got WiFi here at Betania! Yesterday morning I was able to meet with a group of young men in leadership here at the church. It was a first time meeting for these men who so actively involved in ministry here. They worshiped and prayed and I was given the opportunity to share a short message. It is encouraging to see these men make the decision to step out in faith and leadership and be the next generation of leaders at Betania.

Today we minister at Rosia and later here at Betania. We now begin a very busy and intense week of ministry. Please continue to pray for us.

Hey all! We did make it to Romania on time but our internet has been down so we ventured out to find some internet access:) We have been getting used to the time change and discussing plans for the coming week and are very excited to get started! One thing that I have already been shown by God is that I need to be reminded how much I am capable of when I let go and let God take control. I'm very excited about the ministry that we will be doing in Silimbar with the orphaned young woman, because I just found out that the degree that I am getting in psychology and counseling is actually the exact thing that need at this orphanage! Wow, God sure showed me why He had me come over here:) We did a lot of touring today and visiting different beautiful spots and will have lots of pictures to post as soon as our wireless starts to work. More to come in the days that follow with reports of how God is moving!